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Thread: Android USB audio out, and external storage compatibility...

  1. #1
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Coventry

    Posts: 3,039
    I'm Will.

    Default Android USB audio out, and external storage compatibility...

    I've recently acquired a new toy, namely a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, running android 4.1.2. I'm not sure if it's the OS, or the device, or a combination of the two, but the USB capabilities are significantly better than my HTC phone on 4.0.3.

    Firstly I can connect a USB HD or memory stick (or even my HTC phone's SD card) to the device and reference/update the data within it...providing they're not NTSC format (FAT32 is fine). These are accessible via the 'MyFiles' app, which offers 'windows explorer' functionality.

    Secondly I've successfully attached my FiiO E10 DAC/HP amp to it, (although unfortunately my rPAC doesn't work)...this was using 'Poweramp' and playing FLAC.

    I assume that due to their similarity to the Note 8.0, the S3 and S4 phones will also have these capabilities, presumably they'll need Jellybean or later...

    Has anyone found any other Android devices with this capability, and also which DACs are compatible?
    Cheers, Will

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Oakengates, Shropshire

    Posts: 654
    I'm Richard.

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    Hi Will,
    It's a nice feature and I wish my little Samsung Galaxy Ace had it but it doesn't, but any phone that has 'USB host' mode will do this. Yes, the Samsung S2, S3 and S4 all have this mode. I'm just dipping my toe in the water of portable headphone amps which is how I came to know about this, so just going to try a non-DAC HP amp on my Galaxy for now, but if I get hooked, it'll be time for a phone upgrade.
    Rich

  3. #3
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Coventry

    Posts: 3,039
    I'm Will.

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    Quote Originally Posted by lovejoy View Post
    Hi Will,
    It's a nice feature and I wish my little Samsung Galaxy Ace had it but it doesn't, but any phone that has 'USB host' mode will do this. Yes, the Samsung S2, S3 and S4 all have this mode. I'm just dipping my toe in the water of portable headphone amps which is how I came to know about this, so just going to try a non-DAC HP amp on my Galaxy for now, but if I get hooked, it'll be time for a phone upgrade.
    Hi Rich,

    For portability the FiiO E5 & E6 are pretty good as HP amps, although my E5 started causing issues with a loose HP socket, I now use an E6, which being plastic is subject to a little interference from my phone...now and again.

    Given that the E10 works with my tablet I may give the E7 (DAC & HP amp) a go, they seem to be discounted as the new E17, & E07 have been released, the E10 doesn't have a battery and will drain the tablet's...
    Last edited by WAD62; 25-06-2013 at 12:18.
    Cheers, Will

  4. #4
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Oakengates, Shropshire

    Posts: 654
    I'm Richard.

    Default

    Thanks for that. Funny you should mention the Fiio. I've just had an E6 arrive on my desk so am just giving it a quick play with the line-out from my iPhone 4 and the headphone out of my Samsung Ace. It's certainly a noticeable improvement from the headphone sockets on both devices, plus has the bonus of giving you a LOT more headroom. The danger is that I can see where this is going:

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57...headphone-amp/
    Rich

  5. #5
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Coventry

    Posts: 3,039
    I'm Will.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by lovejoy View Post
    Thanks for that. Funny you should mention the Fiio. I've just had an E6 arrive on my desk so am just giving it a quick play with the line-out from my iPhone 4 and the headphone out of my Samsung Ace. It's certainly a noticeable improvement from the headphone sockets on both devices, plus has the bonus of giving you a LOT more headroom. The danger is that I can see where this is going:

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57...headphone-amp/
    The E6 whilst not perfect does give me enough grunt to use my K550s with my phone...

    As for the 'linked' DAC/Amp I think I'll be trying the cheaper FiiO options first, I think the newer E07 at £68 might be a more frugal option...
    Cheers, Will

  6. #6
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Oakengates, Shropshire

    Posts: 654
    I'm Richard.

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    I'm really impressed with the E6. Swapping between my iPhone 4 and Samsung Ace on my way back from Barcelona yesterday, I've not enjoyed portable audio so much in years. There's plenty of volume in there, it's clean, it's punchy and detailed and for the first time ever, I actually get some weight to instruments out of the iPhone - nice sweet treble too. There are just two very small gripes - With my Grado SR60s connected, if I crank the volume up, I get a bit of hiss - Not really a problem as I'm never going to use the SR60s when I'm out and about as they just leak far too much sound. Then with my Sennheiser HD209s(?) it does start to run out of steam a bit at high levels - but I generally only get to that high a level if I'm on a flight or there's a LOT of noise outside.
    Very minor niggles for something that cost £26. I'm also pretty shocked at how good it sounds when I connect it to the hi-fi too.
    Rich

  7. #7
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Coventry

    Posts: 3,039
    I'm Will.

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    Update;

    Cut to yesterday, and I tried connecting the E10 again, and for the life of me I can't get it to work , I hear nothing from poweramp when playing a track, I just see the audio jumping forward in leaps of 16 seconds or so, I've tried increasing the internal buffer size, but all that does is increase the leaps forward to about 1 min at a time...so I've reverted to the default again.

    I'm pretty sure I've had no O/S upgrade since then, I'm struggling to recall if I've had any poweramp upgrades in the same period. I've tried recreating the same scenario as when I got it to work (i.e. rPAC first the FiiO) but with no success.

    Doh!!!
    Cheers, Will

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